If a single mistake on a Melbourne demolition site is going to make the news, it’s almost always a service disconnection failure — an excavator bucket through a live gas main, a damaged consumer mains cable, a flooded slab from an uncapped water service, or a fibre optic strand pulled out of the kerb. None of these are unfixable, and none of them should ever happen. The reason they don’t, on a properly run demolition, is that the four utilities — electricity, gas, water and telecommunications — are lawfully disconnected, capped or removed, and confirmed in writing before any demolition activity begins.
This guide is the plain-English version of how that actually works in 2026 across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria — who you apply to, how long each service takes, what it costs, what to do about solar, and how a licensed demolition contractor (us included) coordinates the lot so your knock-down rebuild stays on schedule.
Quick answer: Before any demolition in Melbourne, four services must be lawfully disconnected: electricity (via your distributor — Jemena, CitiPower, Powercor, AusNet or United Energy), gas (via the relevant gas distributor, with the meter removed and the service capped at the main), water (via Yarra Valley Water, Greater Western Water or South East Water), and telecoms (NBN copper, fibre and HFC, coordinated with your retailer). Realistic 2026 lead times are 2–4 weeks per service, run in parallel, with combined costs of $1,500–$4,000. A Registered Building Surveyor will not sign off the demolition building permit, and a WorkSafe Victoria inspector will not allow on-site work, without written disconnection confirmation for all four.
Why Utility Disconnection Is the Most Safety-Critical Pre-Demolition Step
Most of the demolition compliance journey is paperwork — Section 29A consent, asset protection permits, hazardous materials surveys, EPA Waste Tracker accounts. That paperwork is real, and it matters. But the four service disconnections sit in a different risk category, because the consequences of getting them wrong are immediate and physical.
Consider what’s actually present in the average Melbourne home on day one of a demolition project:
- 240V (and sometimes 415V) electrical supply entering the consumer mains, often with a 5–10 kW solar PV system feeding back into the grid
- Natural gas at 1.1 kPa (low pressure) or 7 kPa (medium pressure) into the meter
- Pressurised water at 350–700 kPa supplying the property
- Active telecommunications — NBN fibre, hybrid fibre coaxial, or legacy copper — running into the building or to a kerbside pit
An excavator working blind near a live service is a workplace fatality waiting to happen, and a public-safety event waiting to happen for the entire street. WorkSafe Victoria classifies work near energised services as High Risk Construction Work (HRCW) under the OHS Regulations 2017 — every demolition involving services requires a site-specific Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS), and the standard control measure for live services is the same one that’s been used for decades: eliminate the hazard at source. Disconnect.
For the wider WorkSafe context, see our WorkSafe Victoria Demolition Requirements: Plain English Guide. For where service disconnections sit in the seven-step process, see our Residential Demolition Process Melbourne: 7-Step Walkthrough.
The Four Services, One by One
1. Electricity Disconnection in Melbourne
Electricity is the disconnection that most often gets underestimated. There’s the obvious meter and the consumer mains — but on a 2026 Melbourne home there’s also almost always a solar PV system with a feed-in connection, a battery storage system in many cases, and sometimes an EV charger on a dedicated circuit. All of these have to be safely de-energised, isolated and removed by qualified people before the structure comes down.
Who you apply to depends entirely on your suburb, because Victoria’s electricity network is split between five distributors (also called Distribution Network Service Providers, or DNSPs):
- CitiPower — central Melbourne, inner-east, inner-north (CBD, South Yarra, Carlton, Fitzroy, Richmond, Hawthorn, Kew, Toorak, Brighton, Albert Park)
- Powercor — western Melbourne and most of regional western Victoria (Werribee, Point Cook, Tarneit, Sunshine, St Albans, Footscray, Ballarat, Geelong, Warrnambool)
- Jemena — north and north-west Melbourne (Coburg, Brunswick, Essendon, Pascoe Vale, Tullamarine, Craigieburn, parts of Broadmeadows)
- United Energy — south and south-east Melbourne, including the Mornington Peninsula (Caulfield, Bentleigh, Cheltenham, Frankston, Mornington, Rosebud, Mt Eliza, Sorrento)
- AusNet — outer east, north-east and Yarra Ranges (Ringwood, Croydon, Lilydale, Healesville, Belgrave, parts of Whittlesea, Kinglake)
You can confirm your distributor at your meter or on a recent electricity bill — but practically, your demolition contractor will already know based on the address.
There are two distinct services to apply for:
- Permanent disconnection (abolishment) — the service is physically removed from the network, the consumer mains are de-energised and pulled back to the pole or pit, and the meter is removed. This is what you want for a demolition where the new build will have a fresh connection installed later.
- Temporary disconnection — the meter is removed and the supply is isolated, but the consumer mains stay in place. This is occasionally used for partial demolitions or staged works, but for a full knock-down it’s rarely the right choice.
Solar systems and batteries add another layer. On a property with a 5 kW PV system feeding back into the grid, the supply is bidirectional. The inverter has to be properly de-commissioned, the DC isolators locked off, the panels removed, and the AC connection back to the meter de-energised — all before anyone climbs onto the roof to remove the panels physically. We coordinate this with a licensed electrician on every project, and the solar disconnection is documented separately for the project file.
Realistic 2026 timeframe: 2–4 weeks from application to physical disconnection, depending on the distributor’s workload and how quickly an electrician can be scheduled for the abolishment visit.
Typical 2026 cost in Melbourne: roughly $400–$1,200, depending on the distributor’s abolishment fee, whether overhead or underground, and whether solar/battery decommissioning is required.
2. Gas Disconnection in Melbourne
Gas is the disconnection where shortcuts kill people. A capped main is a safe main; an open service line buried in rubble is a public-emergency-in-waiting. Victoria’s gas regulator has been progressively tightening the rules around gas connection abolishment, and the 2026 process reflects that.
Who you apply to depends on your gas distributor — most of metropolitan Melbourne is serviced by either AusNet (gas), Multinet Gas or Australian Gas Networks (AGN), depending on suburb. Your gas retailer can confirm the distributor, but your demolition contractor will normally identify and lodge directly with the right one as part of the standard process.
What actually happens on the day of disconnection:
- A qualified gas fitter from the distributor isolates the service at the main
- The meter is removed and returned to the distributor
- The service line is capped at the main — not just at the meter — so that even if the riser is later disturbed during demolition, there’s no open path to live gas
- Written confirmation is issued, with the disconnection date and the technician’s details
Where the home runs on LPG bottles rather than reticulated gas (more common in outer-eastern semi-rural areas like parts of the Yarra Ranges and Macedon Ranges), the bottles are removed by the LPG supplier and the regulator is decommissioned — a faster process, but still documented in writing.
Realistic 2026 timeframe: 2–4 weeks from application, with the actual on-site visit usually taking less than an hour.
Typical 2026 cost in Melbourne: roughly $300–$900 for a standard residential abolishment.
3. Water Disconnection in Melbourne
Water is the disconnection most homeowners assume is simplest, and it usually is — but it has its own pitfalls, particularly around stormwater connections, fire services, and properties with rainwater harvesting plumbed back into the main supply.
Who you apply to is determined by suburb:
- Yarra Valley Water — north and east Melbourne (Brunswick, Coburg, Heidelberg, Doncaster, Box Hill, Ringwood, Lilydale, Whittlesea)
- Greater Western Water (formed from the merger of City West Water and Western Water) — central, inner-west, and outer-west Melbourne (CBD, Footscray, Yarraville, Williamstown, Sunshine, Werribee, Point Cook, Melton, Bacchus Marsh, Sunbury)
- South East Water — south and south-east Melbourne (St Kilda, Caulfield, Brighton, Cheltenham, Dandenong, Cranbourne, Frankston, Mornington Peninsula)
The two options are:
- Meter removal only — the meter is removed at the boundary and the connection is sealed. This is the most common approach for a knock-down rebuild where a new connection will be needed at the same address.
- Full service abandonment — the connection is physically capped and abandoned at the main in the street. This is occasionally required by the water authority where the new build is staged out a long way, or where the property is being sold cleared.
The traps to watch for:
- Fire service connections on properties that previously had a fire booster (rare on residential, common on light commercial demolitions in places like Collingwood, Cremorne, Brunswick) need their own separate disconnection process
- Stormwater legal points of discharge are not a “service disconnection” in the same sense, but the kerb-and-channel connection is often disturbed during demolition and needs to be reinstated — this is part of the asset protection permit, not the water authority’s process
- Rainwater tanks plumbed into the mains supply (common on post-2010 builds in growth-corridor councils like Wyndham, Casey, Cardinia and Whittlesea) need the cross-connection isolated separately
Realistic 2026 timeframe: 1–3 weeks from application — generally the fastest of the four.
Typical 2026 cost in Melbourne: roughly $300–$800 for a standard residential meter removal.
4. Telecommunications Disconnection in Melbourne
Telecoms is the disconnection that’s changed most in the last decade, because the network itself has changed. The old single-pair copper service that was easy to disconnect at the kerb is mostly gone. In its place, most Melbourne homes now have one of three NBN technologies — Fibre to the Premises (FTTP), Fibre to the Node (FTTN/FTTB), or Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) — and a smaller number still run on Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) or have a fixed wireless or satellite connection.
Who you apply through: the disconnection is initiated through your NBN retail service provider (Telstra, Optus, TPG, Aussie Broadband, iiNet, Belong, etc.), who lodges the cessation order with NBN Co. NBN Co then physically disconnects the connection at the appropriate point — at the network boundary point on the building, at the pit, or at the node, depending on the technology.
What actually happens depends on the technology:
- FTTP — the fibre is disconnected from the Network Termination Device (NTD) inside the home, and the lead-in fibre is cut back at the network boundary. The NTD is generally left for NBN to recover.
- FTTN/FTTB — the connection is ceased at the node or building exchange; the in-home wiring becomes inert.
- HFC — the coaxial cable is disconnected at the boundary tap; on demolition, the lead-in is usually pulled back to the kerb.
- Legacy copper (still present on a small number of older properties not yet migrated) — disconnected at the pillar.
- Fixed wireless or satellite — the antenna or dish is decommissioned; this is usually quicker.
The hidden cost: older homes often have disused legacy copper, Foxtel coaxial, and even active alarm circuits running alongside the active NBN service. None of these will be touched by NBN Co in their normal disconnection process — they’re left to the demolition contractor to safely identify, isolate and remove during soft strip. Properly documenting and isolating these is part of the SWMS for the project.
Realistic 2026 timeframe: 2–4 weeks from application.
Typical 2026 cost in Melbourne: generally $0–$400 — telecoms is the cheapest of the four, but final-bill issues with the retail provider are common, and we recommend keeping a copy of the cessation confirmation with the project file.
How We Coordinate the Four Services for You
This is where most of the value of engaging a licensed demolition contractor actually lives — not just in the excavator work, but in the parallel orchestration of four separate organisations each with their own forms, fees and queues.
The standard sequence we use on every Melbourne demolition project:
- Day 1 (contract signed) — we identify your distributor for each of the four services from the property address, request your written authorisation to act as your agent, and prepare the four applications.
- Day 2–3 — applications lodged simultaneously with electricity distributor, gas distributor, water authority and your NBN retailer. Lodging on the same day means the four queues run in parallel, not sequentially — saving up to a month off the timeline.
- Week 1–2 — telecoms cessation usually completes first. We retain the confirmation.
- Week 1–3 — water meter removal scheduled. On the day, we have a representative on site to confirm meter removal, photograph the cap, and collect the paperwork.
- Week 2–4 — gas abolishment scheduled. The meter is removed, the service is capped at the main, and the technician issues written confirmation. Again, we attend on site.
- Week 2–4 — electricity abolishment scheduled, including any solar or battery decommissioning by a licensed electrician we coordinate. The meter is removed and the consumer mains pulled back. Written confirmation issued.
- Final pre-start check — all four certificates compiled into the project file, copied to the Registered Building Surveyor for the demolition building permit, and held on site for the WorkSafe inspector.
Done well, this entire stage runs in 2–4 weeks and completely in parallel with council approvals (Section 29A, asset protection permit, planning permit if required) and the hazardous materials survey and Class B asbestos removal. Done badly, it adds a month to the project — usually because the four applications are lodged sequentially instead of together.
For the bigger-picture timeline of how this fits into the whole project, see our How Long Does It Take to Demolish a House in Melbourne guide.
Realistic 2026 Costs for Service Disconnections in Melbourne
Combined across the four services, a typical Melbourne residential demolition will see service disconnection costs in the range of:
| Service | Typical Cost (2026) | Lead Time |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity (incl. solar decommissioning) | $400–$1,200 | 2–4 weeks |
| Gas (abolishment + capping at main) | $300–$900 | 2–4 weeks |
| Water (meter removal) | $300–$800 | 1–3 weeks |
| Telecoms (NBN cessation) | $0–$400 | 2–4 weeks |
| Combined total | $1,500–$4,000 | 2–4 weeks (parallel) |
These figures are consistent with the line items in our Residential Demolition Process Melbourne: 7-Step Walkthrough cost breakdown. Properties with battery storage, EV chargers, fire booster connections, or unusual gas configurations will sit at the upper end. Straightforward 1990s–2010s suburban homes with a single-phase supply, no solar, and a basic NBN connection will sit at the lower end.
The most expensive variable is almost always solar PV decommissioning — particularly on systems over 6.6 kW, systems with battery storage, or older systems without proper isolators where additional electrical work is needed before the panels can be safely removed.
Common Mistakes and Traps Melbourne Homeowners Hit
After hundreds of Melbourne demolitions, the same handful of mistakes keep showing up. They’re all avoidable.
Mistake 1: Cancelling the retail account instead of disconnecting the service
Calling your electricity retailer to cancel your account is not a service disconnection. The retailer just stops billing you — the consumer mains stay live and the meter stays connected. Only the distributor can physically disconnect, and only the distributor’s written confirmation will satisfy the Registered Building Surveyor. Cancelling the retail account before disconnection is also how people end up with disconnection delays, because the distributor can’t process an abolishment without an active service in place.
Mistake 2: Forgetting solar feed-in
Many homeowners disconnect their main electricity service and assume the solar panels are now safe. They’re not. PV panels generate DC voltage whenever the sun is on them, regardless of whether the grid is connected. A licensed electrician must isolate the DC side, lock off the inverter and the rooftop isolators, and decommission the system properly before the panels are physically removed. We’ve been called to too many sites where unlicensed labourers tried to remove panels from a still-active system.
Mistake 3: Removing the gas meter without capping the main
A common shortcut: an unlicensed person removes the gas meter to “save time”, leaving the service line capped at the riser. The riser is then disturbed during demolition, exposing a live (or recently live) service. Only the gas distributor’s licensed technician can disconnect the service at the main, and only that disconnection — with written confirmation — is legally acceptable.
Mistake 4: Lodging applications sequentially, not in parallel
Each of the four services has an independent 2–4 week queue. Lodge them sequentially and you’ve added 8–12 weeks to your project. Lodge them on the same day and they finish around the same time. We’ve seen otherwise-organised owner-builders blow out their timeline by a month and a half because they assumed the council approvals had to be in hand first. They don’t — service disconnections can be lodged the day the contract is signed.
Mistake 5: Demolishing fire-damaged properties without re-checking services
Fire-damaged properties present a special case. The fire may have melted the meter, damaged the consumer mains, melted plastic gas piping, or left the building with an emergency disconnection rather than a permanent abolishment. We always re-confirm service status in writing before any demolition activity on a fire-affected site, even where the fire brigade has previously done emergency disconnections. (Fire-damaged properties also commonly trigger friable asbestos issues — see our WorkSafe Victoria Demolition Requirements guide.)
Mistake 6: Assuming “the demo guys will sort it out on the day”
If a demolition contractor’s quote doesn’t separately itemise service disconnections and explain how each one is being handled, that’s a red flag. The cost is real, the lead time is real, and the consequences of skipping the step are real. Round-figure quotes that wrap “site prep” into a single line item are the quotes that turn into mid-project delays and surprise variations.
How Service Disconnections Fit With Asbestos Removal
For most Melbourne homes built before the late 1980s, asbestos removal happens in parallel with service disconnections, not after them. The two stages are both pre-demolition, and they both need to be complete before the excavator rolls in.
A typical sequence on a 1970s suburban Melbourne home with non-friable asbestos in the eaves, fence and bathroom linings:
- Week 1: Hazardous materials survey booked, service disconnection applications lodged
- Week 2: Hazardous materials report delivered, WorkSafe notification of asbestos removal lodged (5-day notification period for non-friable removal)
- Week 3: Class B licensed asbestos removal undertaken (1–3 days on site), asbestos clearance certificate issued by an independent licensed assessor; telecoms and water disconnections complete
- Week 4: Gas and electricity abolishments complete, all four service disconnection certificates on file
- Week 5: Council approvals finalised, building permit for demolition issued by Registered Building Surveyor, site setup and physical demolition begins
Because we hold our own Class B (non-friable) asbestos removal licence, we manage the asbestos removal and the service disconnection coordination under a single insured roof — which is the difference between a 4–6 week pre-demolition stage and a 10–12 week one. For the regulatory framework around asbestos in Victoria, see our WorkSafe Victoria Demolition Requirements guide and our EPA Victoria Construction and Demolition Waste Rules guide.

Gone and Clean Demolition – Contact
📞 Call us: 0475 143 106
📧 Email: goneandcleandemolition@gmail.com
🌐 Contact Us: Gone and Clean Demolition – Contact
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really have to disconnect all four services before demolition in Victoria?
Yes. Under the Building Act 1993, the Building Regulations 2018, and WorkSafe Victoria’s OHS Regulations 2017, all four services — electricity, gas, water and telecommunications — must be lawfully disconnected and confirmed in writing before any demolition activity begins. The Registered Building Surveyor will not sign off the demolition building permit without evidence, and a WorkSafe inspector who arrives on site can issue an immediate prohibition notice if disconnections aren’t documented.
How long do utility disconnections take before a Melbourne demolition?
Realistic 2026 timeframes are 2–4 weeks per service, with all four lodged in parallel. Water is generally the fastest at 1–3 weeks; electricity, gas and telecoms typically run 2–4 weeks each. A licensed demolition contractor lodges all four on the same day to keep the timeline tight.
Who do I apply to for electricity disconnection in Melbourne?
Your distribution network operator (DNSP) — not your retailer. The five Victorian distributors are CitiPower (central/inner Melbourne), Powercor (western Melbourne and western regional Victoria), Jemena (north/north-west Melbourne), United Energy (south/south-east Melbourne and Mornington Peninsula) and AusNet (outer east, north-east and Yarra Ranges). Your demolition contractor identifies the right one from the property address.
What about my solar panels?
Solar PV systems must be properly de-commissioned by a licensed electrician before the panels are physically removed. The DC side has to be isolated, the inverter de-energised, and the rooftop isolators locked off. Battery storage systems require additional decommissioning steps. None of this should be done by unlicensed labour — solar generates DC voltage whenever sunlight is on the panels, regardless of whether the grid is connected.
Who handles gas disconnection in Melbourne?
The gas distributor for your address — usually AusNet Gas, Multinet Gas, or Australian Gas Networks (AGN), depending on suburb. The distributor sends a qualified gas fitter to isolate the service at the main, remove the meter, and cap the service line. Written confirmation is issued on the day. For LPG-supplied properties, the LPG supplier removes the bottles and decommissions the regulator.
Do I need to disconnect the water service if I’m rebuilding on the same block?
Yes — but in most knock-down-rebuild cases, the water authority will perform a meter removal and seal rather than a full service abandonment, since a new connection will be needed at the same address. The water authority for your address is Yarra Valley Water (north/east Melbourne), Greater Western Water (central/inner-west/outer-west) or South East Water (south/south-east).
How is NBN disconnected before demolition?
The disconnection is initiated through your NBN retail service provider (Telstra, Optus, TPG, Aussie Broadband, etc.), who lodges the cessation order with NBN Co. NBN Co then physically disconnects at the relevant point — at the building boundary for FTTP and HFC, at the node for FTTN/FTTB. Cessation typically takes 2–4 weeks. The in-home wiring and Network Termination Device are generally left for the demolition contractor to handle during soft strip.
What does it cost to disconnect all four services in Melbourne?
Combined, $1,500–$4,000 for a typical 2026 Melbourne residential demolition. Properties with solar PV, battery storage, EV charging or fire booster connections sit at the upper end. Straightforward 1990s suburban homes with a single-phase supply and basic NBN sit at the lower end.
Can my demolition contractor lodge all four applications for me?
Yes — and they should. With your written authority, a licensed Melbourne demolition contractor lodges all four applications as your agent on the day the contract is signed. This is the single biggest schedule-saving step in the entire pre-demolition phase, because the four queues then run in parallel instead of sequentially.
What happens if I start demolition without disconnecting services?
A great deal goes wrong, in roughly this order: WorkSafe Victoria can issue an immediate prohibition notice and stop the job; council can issue enforcement notices; your insurance is likely to be voided; the Registered Building Surveyor can revoke the building permit; and if a worker, neighbour or member of the public is harmed, the company directors and individuals involved face penalties under the OHS Act that can include significant fines and imprisonment. Recent Victorian prosecutions of construction businesses for safety failures have resulted in fines of $40,000 to $150,000+ for single incidents.
Does fire damage change the disconnection process?
Significantly. Fire-affected properties often have melted meters, damaged consumer mains, and emergency disconnections that aren’t permanent abolishments. We always re-confirm service status in writing before any demolition activity begins on a fire-affected site, and we coordinate with the distributor on whether an emergency disconnection needs to be converted into a permanent abolishment. Fire-damaged properties also commonly trigger friable asbestos risk, requiring a Class A licensed removalist rather than Class B.
Do I need any of this if I’m only doing a partial demolition?
Yes, although the scope depends on what’s being kept. For a partial demolition where the building remains habitable on one side (e.g. a rear extension demolition, or a heritage facade retention), services may be isolated and re-routed rather than fully abolished. This is more complex, not less — it requires a licensed electrician, plumber and gas fitter to physically reconfigure each service while the rest of the building stays operational. The SWMS for partial demolitions is correspondingly more detailed.
Why Coordinated Disconnection Matters Beyond the Demolition Itself
The four service disconnection certificates aren’t just a permit-stage tick-box. They become part of the permanent project documentation pack that’s handed to the property owner at the end of the demolition, alongside the:
- Building permit for demolition
- Section 29A consent
- Asbestos register and clearance certificate (where ACM was present)
- EPA Waste Tracker records
- Weighbridge dockets and lawful disposal receipts
- Asset protection final inspection report
- Public liability insurance certificate
Future buyers, builders, conveyancers and insurers will routinely ask for this pack — particularly the asbestos clearance certificate and the service disconnection records. We hand the entire pack across in physical and digital form at handover, and we recommend retaining it for at least five years.
For the full handover documentation list, see our Residential Demolition Process Melbourne: 7-Step Walkthrough. For what happens between the disconnections and the new build commencing, see our Site Preparation After Demolition Melbourne: Before Your New Build.
Get a Compliant Melbourne Demolition Quote
We’re a fully licensed Melbourne demolition company with Class B (non-friable) asbestos removal capability — meaning your service disconnections, council paperwork, asbestos removal, EPA waste compliance and the heavy lifting are all coordinated under one insured roof, across every metropolitan Melbourne council and regional Victoria.
We work across:
- Inner Melbourne: CBD, Carlton, Fitzroy, Richmond, South Yarra, St Kilda, Albert Park
- Inner-east: Hawthorn, Kew, Camberwell, Malvern, Toorak, Brighton, Caulfield
- North: Brunswick, Coburg, Pascoe Vale, Essendon, Heidelberg, Ivanhoe
- Inner-west: Footscray, Yarraville, Seddon, Williamstown, Maribyrnong
- East and outer-east: Box Hill, Doncaster, Ringwood, Croydon, Lilydale, Belgrave
- South-east: Bentleigh, Cheltenham, Mentone, Mordialloc, Frankston
- Mornington Peninsula: Mornington, Mt Eliza, Rosebud, Sorrento, Portsea
- Outer-west growth corridor: Sunshine, St Albans, Werribee, Point Cook, Tarneit, Truganina, Melton
- Outer-south growth corridor: Berwick, Cranbourne, Narre Warren, Pakenham, Officer
- Outer-north growth corridor: Craigieburn, Mickleham, Donnybrook, Wollert, Mernda
- Regional Victoria: Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Yarra Ranges, Macedon Ranges
Whether it’s a knock-down rebuild, a heritage strip-out, a fire-damaged property, a townhouse demolition, or a partial structural demolition for a renovation, we’ll handle the four service disconnections, the council approvals, the Class B asbestos removal and the heavy lifting — properly, the first time.
Call us today for a free site inspection and fixed-price quote — and get a Melbourne demolition that has every service lawfully disconnected before the excavator turns up.
Disclaimer: This guide summarises utility disconnection requirements before demolition in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria as of May 2026 in plain English. It is not legal, planning or engineering advice. Distributor fees, retailer policies, lead times and regulator requirements change regularly — always check the current Building Act 1993, Building Regulations 2018, OHS Act 2004, OHS Regulations 2017, Environment Protection Act 2017, and your distributor’s current published service disconnection process, or consult a qualified building surveyor, licensed demolition contractor, electrician, gas fitter or plumber, before relying on this information for a specific project.